2018 Birmingham Bowl

The 2018 Birmingham Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 22, 2018.^[3] It was the 13th edition of the Birmingham Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Jared brand of Sterling Jewelers, the game was officially named the Jared Birmingham Bowl.^[4]

2018 Jared Birmingham Bowl
13th Birmingham Bowl
Memphis Tigers Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8–5) (6–6) The American ACC 34 37 Head coach:  Mike Norvell Head coach:  Dave Clawson
1 2 3 4 Total Memphis 14 14 0 6 34 Wake Forest 7 17 6 7 37
Date	December 22, 2018
Season	2018
Stadium	Legion Field
Location	Birmingham, Alabama
MVP	Jamie Newman (QB, Wake Forest)
Favorite	Memphis by 4.5[1]
Referee	Rodney Burnette (Conference USA)
Attendance	25,717
Payout	US$1,650,000 [2]
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN
Announcers	Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley and Dawn Davenport
Birmingham Bowl  < 2017  2020 >

Teams

The bowl was slated to invite teams from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the American Athletic Conference (The American). However, with four SEC teams selected for New Year's Six games, the Birmingham Bowl matchup announced on December 2 featured Wake Forest from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), rather than an SEC team, to face Memphis from The American.^[4] The two programs previously met four times, each team winning twice, between 1964 and 1967.^[5]

Memphis Tigers

Main article: 2018 Memphis Tigers football team

Memphis was defeated in the 2018 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game played on December 1; they received and accepted a bid to the Birmingham Bowl on December 2.^[4] The Tigers entered the bowl with a 8–5 record (5–3 in conference).

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Main article: 2018 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

Wake Forest received and accepted a bid to the Birmingham Bowl on December 2.^[4] The Demon Deacons entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (3–5 in conference).

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP MEM WF 1 12:28 10 75 2:32 WF Sage Surratt 9-yard touchdown reception from Jamie Newman, Nick Sciba kick good 0 7 1 10:06 6 76 2:22 MEM Tony Pollard 41-yard touchdown run, Riley Patterson kick good 7 7 1 3:28 16 98 5:29 MEM Patrick Taylor Jr. 1-yard touchdown reception from Brady White, Nick Sciba kick good 14 7 2 14:49 MEM Interception returned 37 yards for touchdown by Chris Claybrooks, Riley Patterson kick good 21 7 2 11:16 13 57 3:33 WF 36-yard field goal by Nick Sciba 21 10 2 11:04 MEM Kickoff returned 97 yards for touchdown by Tony Pollard, Nick Sciba kick good 28 10 2 7:09 12 75 3:55 WF Jamie Newman 1-yard touchdown run, Nick Sciba kick good 28 17 2 5:33 3 56 0:26 WF Jamie Newman 17-yard touchdown run, Nick Sciba kick good 28 24 3 7:41 5 48 1:40 WF 49-yard field goal by Nick Sciba 28 27 3 3:49 12 47 2:31 WF 39-yard field goal by Nick Sciba 28 30 4 1:15 14 88 4:36 MEM Patrick Taylor Jr. 9-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed (intercepted) 34 30 4 0:34 6 75 0:41 WF Jamie Newman 1-yard touchdown run, Nick Sciba kick good 34 37 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 34 37

Statistics

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	14	14	0	6	34
Demon Deacons	7	17	6	7	37

Statistics	MEM	WF
First downs	22	26
Plays–yards	82–378	90–529
Rushes–yards	53–207	50–201
Passing yards	171	328
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	15–29–1	22–40–1
Time of possession	30:38	29:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Brady White	15/27, 171 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Patrick Taylor	30 car, 110 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Damonte Coxie	6 rec, 70 yds
Wake Forest	Passing	Jamie Newman	22/40, 328 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jamie Newman	23 car, 91 yds, 3 TD
	Receiving	Alex Bachman	7 rec, 171 yds